Chris Combs is an artist working with technology in Washington, D.C.

The Next Big Thing, 2024. Photograph by Vivian Marie Doering

The Next Big Thing, 2024. Photograph by Vivian Marie Doering

About Chris

Chris Combs's artworks respond to pressing themes of surveillance, artificial intelligence, and algorithmic failure—and to the viewer, using facial recognition and motion sensing. Show More

He employs a wide range of practices to create circuit boards, software, and enclosures for interactive and time-based wood, metal, and found-object sculptures, which both embrace and question technology.

The Next Big Thing, 2024. Photograph by Vivian Marie Doering

The Next Big Thing, 2024. Photograph by Vivian Marie Doering

Updates

I was interviewed by South Dakota Public Broadcasting for their local NPR Morning Edition. "Meet Chris Combs, SURF's 2025 Artist-in-Residence"
Through April 27 in Charlottesville, VA:
“Fake Plastic Trees”
is part of the 2025 Mid-Atlantic Juried Show at the McGuffey Art Center.
Through April 27 in Solomons, MD:
“Flux (Deprecated)”
is included in "Fragments" at Annmarie Sculpture Garden and Arts Center; it was awarded a juror's award.
Through April 30: "Noir Tour" at Dwight Mess in Silver Spring includes my
“Impressions”
.
May 1, 6–9:30PM:
“Forces”
is included in this year's Washington Project for the Arts "Collectors' Night." In addition to the evening event, you'll be able to bid on the artwork online from April 18 until May 2 at noon. Separate viewing dates also coming soon.
May 3:
“Insert 25 Cents to Feel Something”
and
“Echo Chamber”
are included in the Delaplaine Arts Center's 2025 Juried Exhibition. Through July 13.
May 6: "Beauty is What We're Fighting For," at the Cade Gallery in Arnold, MD, curated by Philippa Pham Hughes, includes my artwork
“S(p)lash”
. Through July 21.
May 10, 12–5PM: My studio building, Otis Street Arts Project, opens its doors just a few times per year. Come see where I make much of my artwork in Mount Rainier, MD, just over the border from DC.
May 30, 7–9PM: "Unforeseen," a collaborative show with Ceci Cole McInturff, opens at VisArts in Rockville.
Through May 30 in Rockville, MD: "Earth's Echo: Voices for Environmental Justice" at the Universities at Shady Grove's Priddy Library includes
“Refugium (Pahrump Poolfish)”
.
Mid-June: I have been selected as the 2025 Artist-in-Residence at the Sanford Underground Research Facility in Lead, SD, set in a former gold mine nearly a mile underground. I will spend a month in residence at the facility, then return to the Black Hills in October for a solo show at BHSU.

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Artwork

Filter: All Available On display Upcoming show Sold

Sylvan

Art Machines | 30 Mar 2025

Board/Bits

Art Machines | 06 Dec 2024

Upcoming show Available

Echo Chamber

Art Machines | 04 Nov 2024

Upcoming show Available

Scream Into the Void

Art Machines | 09 Oct 2024

8 Bits I (Wax)

Art Machines | 08 Oct 2024

Enigma II

Art Machines | 08 Oct 2024

Fake Plastic Trees

Art Machines | 08 Oct 2024

On display Available

Design by Committee

Art Machines | 07 Oct 2024

Past Snows

Art Machines | 07 Oct 2024

Creature/Machine

Art Machines | 13 Sep 2024

Upcoming show Available

Elysium

Art Machines | 12 Sep 2024

Upcoming show Available

Genomic Signal Generator

Art Machines | 04 Sep 2024

Mirrortron

Art Machines | 04 Sep 2024

Refugium (Pahrump Poolfish)

Art Machines | 04 Sep 2024

On display Available

Passive Institutional Controls

Art Machines | 05 Aug 2024

Insert 25 Cents to Feel Something

Art Machines | 19 Jul 2024

Upcoming show Available

Orbeez 'n' Coal

Art Machines | 01 Jul 2024

The 10x Engineer

Art Machines | 01 Jul 2024

The Next Big Thing

Art Machines | 17 Apr 2024

Allegheny Data Company

Art Machines | 16 Dec 2023

Beeswax/Bits

Art Machines | 16 Dec 2023

Cotyledon (Transmission VI)

Art Machines | 16 Dec 2023

Flux (Deprecated)

Art Machines | 16 Dec 2023

On display Available

Shut This Door (After Vance)

Art | 16 Dec 2023

POET.EXE

Art Machines | 07 Sep 2023

An Hour with ELIZA

Art | 07 Jul 2023

Cryptid Currencies

Art | 07 Jul 2023

MacAffy’s Anti-Viral "Revigorator"

Art Machines | 07 Jul 2023

Pollination

Art Machines | 07 Jul 2023

Targeting

Art Machines | 07 Jul 2023

Booleans (Flanders Bay)

Art Machines | 28 Jun 2023

Reinvention Garage

Art Machines | 01 Jun 2023

Daybreak

Art Machines | 09 May 2023

S(p)lash

Art Machines | 09 May 2023

Upcoming show Available

Backdriven (Driven Back)

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Birdsight (Develop/Validate/Acquire)

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Black Box

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Enigma #QAL

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Honeypot

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Margins (JTNP)

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Shy Light

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Sync/Desync MARL-3

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Takes

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

This Machine Hates Kids

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Uncontrollable Light

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Vaporware

Art Machines | 13 Apr 2023

Cluster

Art Machines | 25 Feb 2023

Hammond BIVALVE

Art Machines | 13 Oct 2022

Hammond COCOON

Art Machines | 13 Oct 2022

Hammond GEODE

Art Machines | 13 Oct 2022

Rootball INSPECTION

Art Machines | 13 Oct 2022

Rootball INTROSPECTION

Art Machines | 13 Oct 2022

Demon Core

Art Machines | 24 Aug 2022

Plans

Art Machines | 24 Aug 2022

Data Chains

Art | 09 Jul 2022

Feedback Loop

Art Machines | 09 Jul 2022

Illegal in Illinois

Art Machines | 09 Jul 2022

Morale is Mandatory (Algorithm Livery)

Art Machines | 09 Jul 2022

Print/Shred

Art Machines | 09 Jul 2022

Probing DALL-E Mini

Art | 09 Jul 2022

Probing GauGAN2

Art | 09 Jul 2022

Probing ImageNet

Art | 09 Jul 2022

Snap Judgment

Art Machines | 09 Jul 2022

F2G (Spoon Theory)

Art Machines | 01 Jun 2022

Lepidopterism

Art Machines | 05 May 2022

Stump/Sandia

Art Machines | 28 Apr 2022

Blurred Words

Art Machines | 20 Mar 2022

Forces

Art Machines | 20 Mar 2022

On display Available

Alight

Art Machines | 15 Feb 2022

Clear-Cut

Art Machines | 20 Jan 2022

Bulkhead

Art Machines | 03 Dec 2021

65 Failures

Art Machines | 18 Nov 2021

Sync/Desync Micro

Art Machines | 06 Nov 2021

Sync/Desync R/G/B Micro

Art Machines | 06 Nov 2021

DataWorld 2021: booth 313, Maelstrom Networks, Inc.

Art Machines | 25 Sep 2021

Bayering

Art Machines | 03 Sep 2021

One-to-Many

Art Machines | 03 Sep 2021

Orchestration (Beeswax)

Art Machines | 03 Sep 2021

Subset

Art Machines | 03 Sep 2021

16 Bits (9:06:08) I

Art Machines | 15 Jun 2021

Sync/Desync I

Art Machines | 15 Jun 2021

Madness Method

Art Machines | 09 Apr 2021

Maelstrom

Art Machines | 16 Jan 2021

Iteration (Transmission IV)

Art Machines | 03 Oct 2020

Gateway (Transmission III)

Art Machines | 02 Oct 2020

Side Guide Control

Art Machines | 02 Oct 2020

Resolution (Transmission II)

Art Machines | 01 Oct 2020

16 Bits (9:06:08) Micro-A

Art Machines | 07 Aug 2020

16 Bits (9:06:08) Micro-B

Art Machines | 07 Aug 2020

8 Bits (2:08) Micro-B

Art Machines | 07 Aug 2020

Closely Held

Online Art | 27 Jun 2020

Loopback (Transmission I)

Art Machines | 28 May 2020

Morale is Mandatory

Art Machines | 01 Apr 2020

Point of Sale

Art Machines | 01 Apr 2020

Thermoelectric Candle I

Art Machines | 01 Apr 2020

Road Ahead

Art Machines | 29 Dec 2019

Impressions

Art Machines | 28 Dec 2019

On display Available Sold

Rxsqtta-Stzne

Art Machines | 10 Oct 2019

Naked Mueller

Art Machines | 25 Jul 2019

Campfire

Art Machines | 01 Jul 2019

Publish/Perish

Art Machines | 02 Apr 2019

Fireflies

Art Machines | 04 Nov 2018

The Heart Says...

Art Machines | 07 Jul 2018

I see you there.

Art Machine | 26 Apr 2018

Two Minutes Hate

Art Machines | 26 Apr 2018

Feeling Lucky

Art Machines | 25 Apr 2018

Eyes

Art Machines | 22 Apr 2018

Extraction Potential

Art Machines | 20 Apr 2018

Our Time Together II

Art Machines | 20 Apr 2018

Bureautron

Art Machines | 25 Mar 2018

Wave/Wave

Art Machines | 15 Mar 2018

Security Theater?

Art Machines | 15 Feb 2018

Just Helping

Art Machines | 10 Jan 2018

Digital Daguerreotype

Art Machines | 24 Jul 2017

ZIP/ZCTA Deaccessioning Console

Art Machines | 27 Feb 2017

Markov Radio

Art Machines | 19 Jan 2017

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